Back On Track

Okay, I think I'm about done with revising Arcanum. I'll be letting it sit for a few days and then giving it another read through before sending it to my toughest critique for their opinion.

Then I'm thinking of sending it off to The Way of the Wizard anthology - see previous post.

A couple of my ideas for The New Bedlam Project have gelled together so things are beginning to hot up in my head. For a change, I started with the end (Aaron will be pleased), and now have cause and effect, but I'm trying to nail down a beginning in my head which makes sense, is believable and fits in with the whole New Bedlam feel that I've read so far. It'll come...

In the mail today I received two things. An assignment, which only managed a C grade and has so many comments all over it I'm amazed it didn't cost them extra in stamps due to the weight of ink, and a couple of books.

The assignment I'm not overly fussed about. I may read the comments, I may not - it doesn't matter at the moment because I've already sent in the remainder of this semester's assignments and then that's it - I'm done for the time being with study.

But the books...today I've finally seen some words I wrote in an actual book. A real one with a flash looking cover and pages and black ink and everything. Only downer is it doesn't have my name on the two stories within it :c(

Yeah, it's my two erotica stories in the British anthology "The Mammoth Book of Erotic Confessions"

Unfortunately neither of these stories are penned under my real name :c(, so I still have that check box to tick, but it paid well and I wrote these at a time when i was still experimenting with genres and finding my fledgling voice.

So, if you're into reading erotica, then may I suggest you do yourself a favour and add this to your list. Would make a great present for that special someone in your life...maybe.

Well, I thought it was a big deal.

Time to get back to some more normal writing; you know, maiming and killing and that type of stuff ;c)

Swirls

Last night I finished my revision of Swirls In Obsidian. It has been renamed Arcanum due to all the changes which have been made and sent out to my wonderful group of beta readers.

I did this while rebuilding my oldest daughters laptop and while continuing to wait on tender hooks for any word from the editor I'm currently working with.

Alas, the laptop is rebuilt, the revision is complete, I even managed to get halfway through NT # issue 6, but still nothing from the editor. I don't blame her for it or hold any grudges. I'm sure she has more than just little old me to work with in getting this book together to the extremely high standards this particular publication is known for.

Tonight I have more real work to do. Sunday I will be once more at my day job doing overtime. Sunday night I'll be putting together my last assignment for submission sometime during the coming week. I must also finish reading NT6 and read New Bedlam 1 before the weekend is done so I can make a dent in my review work.

You just know my slush reading for this month will arrive in my inbox any day now...

As for the previous discussion on writing courses. I am in no way saying people shouldn't do it. I am suggesting there may be better ways to achieve the same results, but courses do provide the structure some people need, and they definitely provide the much needed piece of paper to allow one to move into some writing professions. I suggest that if you are going to do a writing course, you first look at doing a short English grammar course to get the basics right (unlike me), and then research any long time course carefully. Ask around, post a question, be sure. Know what you want out of it and ensure that is the minimum you attain.

And good luck.